JTA’s Ami Eden poses some questions via e-mail to controversial Christians United for Israel founder Pastor John Hagee, who has been accused of being anti-Catholic, anti-Muslim and, by some, even antisemitic (and, by me, of being too philosemitic for his own good).

Here’s part of the Q&A:

You have been attacked by liberal Jews who say you support Israel simply because you see it as a step toward the Second Coming and believe that Jews will eventually be killed, and Christians who feel you don’t believe that Jews must accept Jesus to go to heaven. Could you please clarify your position on each issue?

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This is a great distortion of my motives and the motives all Christian Zionists. God has set the time and date for the Second Coming and we are powerless to alter this date by so much as a second. While waiting for this appointed time, we seek to bless Israel because of the promises made by God to the Jewish people in the book of Genesis. In addition, we know Jewish history and the need for a Jewish homeland. We also know Israeli history and the justice of Israel’s cause. The fact is, we support Israel for the same reason most Jews do.

Do you believe that all Muslims have a mandate to kill Christians and Jews?

No. I believe that there are some militant Muslims who believe that they have such a mandate. But I do not believe that this is the case for all Muslims.

Read Eden’s full exchange with Hagee here.

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